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Lizzie watched in dismay as the familiar car shot out of sight. She wasn't worried about Ethan, he could handle himself. Her plan hadn't worked, it'd actually backfired. Gordo had used her outfit as an outlet to pull even farther away. But there had been something in his eyes when he'd stared at her. She wasn't giving up.
Miranda ran over. "It didn't work."
Lizzie felt an unjustifiable amount of annoying take over her. "Do you think, Miranda?" she snapped. She sighed when she saw her friend's face crumple. "Look, I didn't mean that like it sounded. I'm just aggravated."
Miranda said nothing, but put her arms around Lizzie's shoulders in an affectionate hug.
Lizzie stared after the disappearing taillights.
She hurried over to the table where a walkie talkie was sitting, it cracked to life as the lookouts, reported what was happening around the bend.
She watched anxiously. The radio crackled to life and she heard something about Ethan falling back. Her heart leapt, that meant Gordo was pulling ahead.
The radio continued to dictate what was happening. Time was seriously messing with her head. It felt like it was flying by, but at her eagerness to see Gordo safe and sound out of the car, time drug and taunted her.
The spectators were as restless as she was. Finally, the headlights peered around the corner. Blinded by the lights, Lizzie listened for who was ahead. Someone stood up, leaving a vacant chair and Lizzie quickly climbed onto of it, giving herself a clear view above everyone's heads. She watched Gordo's car, then felt her heart lurch. Something was wrong. Time slowed. Gordo's car veered left. Someone screamed. The sound of crunching metal tore across the crowd. Time stopped. The car did not. It went into a strange spin out, then flipped onto the roof of the car.
Ethan breaks squealed, as his car slid past the wreckage of Gordo's car.
The crowd was frantic. Lizzie still managed to push her way through. Was Gordo all right? She was running past them all. The spectators were scrambling for their cars. Someone had announced that the police were on their way. Everything was a blur, her eyes focused on the bottom side of a car. This wasn't happening. It wasn't possible.
Suddenly, strong hands locked on her biceps. Lizzie snapped to attention to find Danny Kessler staring at her. "You have to go."
"Get off of me!" she snapped, trying to jerk away.
"Lizzie the police are on their way!"
She tried to jerk away again, but his hold was strong. Impulsively, she brought her knee up, connecting sharply with Danny's groin. He finally let go and she ran forward.
Her heart seemed to stop within her chest. That familiar form, that curly hair, he was laying on his back about a foot away from car. A dark puddle forming around his head.
"No, no, no, no," she muttered, falling to her knees besides him. This was not supposed to happen! No one got hurt at these races! His eyes were closed, his face scratched, blood on the side of his head. "Gordo!" she shrieked.
***
The hospital waiting room was full of people, Gordo's family, Miranda's and Lizzie's all crowded into the room. There had been no word since they'd arrived forty minutes earlier. Lizzie stood up and walked out of the room, she continued until she was outside.
"Lizzie!" Miranda called, chasing after her.
Lizzie wiped furiously at the tears spilling from here eyes. "What?"
Miranda stared at her, she didn't know what to say either, she wrapped her arms around Lizzie's shoulders.
"We should have tried harder," she cried, wiping at her eyes.
"What else could we have done Lizzie?" Miranda asked. "We tried everything we knew! We couldn't stop him."
"Then we could have told his parents! They could have taken his keys!" Lizzie sobbed. "We were stupid and look at him now! He's in a hospital bed, Miranda we have no idea what is going to happen to him!"
"David is very determined," a voice stated. Lizzie whirled around to face Roberta, Gordo's mother. "Whatever you girls could have tried he would have found a way around." Her face faltered for a moment, and Lizzie feared she would break down into tears. "I don't doubt for a minute that you tried everything you could think of. Don't blame yourselves."
"But we could have tried harder!" Lizzie insisted.
Roberta sighed. "His father and I are psychologists and we thought it was just a phase that would last a week."
All three females fell silent. Lizzie choked back more tears. Roberta stepped forward and looked at the girls. "Come on, I want you two to come back with me."
"We can see him now?" Miranda asked, her voice wavering.
"Yes," Roberta nodded. Her arm on each girl's back.
When joined by his father Howard, Lizzie and Miranda fell into step with each other.
The hallway seemed infinitely long to Lizzie. The overpowering silence was like a cloak, trying to smother her. She wanted to start laughing insanely because she was afraid if she didn't, she'd start crying again. She crossed her arms protectively around herself.
No matter what she did, she couldn't prepare herself for what she saw when she came into the room.
Gordo looked so small against the pillows, a bandage across his forehead and the side of his face. The other side was bruised badly. The cut she'd seen had needed stitches and were now covered by a small bandage.
Her hand flew to her mouth, she hung back by the door. She felt as if she was in a movie, watching everyone, but not a part of the action.
He was awake, a good sign. She hadn't had the courage to ask what was wrong, but he was awake, and looking around the room. Apparently he wasn't that bad. How he'd gotten so damn luck she didn't know, but she was grateful he did. His parents talked to him, then Miranda, then everyone turned to her. She hadn't said a word. Hadn't moved.
Some how everyone knew to leave them alone. The room was empty and the door shut. She stared at him. He waited. The silence and tension in the air thick.
Lizzie watched in dismay as the familiar car shot out of sight. She wasn't worried about Ethan, he could handle himself. Her plan hadn't worked, it'd actually backfired. Gordo had used her outfit as an outlet to pull even farther away. But there had been something in his eyes when he'd stared at her. She wasn't giving up.
Miranda ran over. "It didn't work."
Lizzie felt an unjustifiable amount of annoying take over her. "Do you think, Miranda?" she snapped. She sighed when she saw her friend's face crumple. "Look, I didn't mean that like it sounded. I'm just aggravated."
Miranda said nothing, but put her arms around Lizzie's shoulders in an affectionate hug.
Lizzie stared after the disappearing taillights.
She hurried over to the table where a walkie talkie was sitting, it cracked to life as the lookouts, reported what was happening around the bend.
She watched anxiously. The radio crackled to life and she heard something about Ethan falling back. Her heart leapt, that meant Gordo was pulling ahead.
The radio continued to dictate what was happening. Time was seriously messing with her head. It felt like it was flying by, but at her eagerness to see Gordo safe and sound out of the car, time drug and taunted her.
The spectators were as restless as she was. Finally, the headlights peered around the corner. Blinded by the lights, Lizzie listened for who was ahead. Someone stood up, leaving a vacant chair and Lizzie quickly climbed onto of it, giving herself a clear view above everyone's heads. She watched Gordo's car, then felt her heart lurch. Something was wrong. Time slowed. Gordo's car veered left. Someone screamed. The sound of crunching metal tore across the crowd. Time stopped. The car did not. It went into a strange spin out, then flipped onto the roof of the car.
Ethan breaks squealed, as his car slid past the wreckage of Gordo's car.
The crowd was frantic. Lizzie still managed to push her way through. Was Gordo all right? She was running past them all. The spectators were scrambling for their cars. Someone had announced that the police were on their way. Everything was a blur, her eyes focused on the bottom side of a car. This wasn't happening. It wasn't possible.
Suddenly, strong hands locked on her biceps. Lizzie snapped to attention to find Danny Kessler staring at her. "You have to go."
"Get off of me!" she snapped, trying to jerk away.
"Lizzie the police are on their way!"
She tried to jerk away again, but his hold was strong. Impulsively, she brought her knee up, connecting sharply with Danny's groin. He finally let go and she ran forward.
Her heart seemed to stop within her chest. That familiar form, that curly hair, he was laying on his back about a foot away from car. A dark puddle forming around his head.
"No, no, no, no," she muttered, falling to her knees besides him. This was not supposed to happen! No one got hurt at these races! His eyes were closed, his face scratched, blood on the side of his head. "Gordo!" she shrieked.
***
The hospital waiting room was full of people, Gordo's family, Miranda's and Lizzie's all crowded into the room. There had been no word since they'd arrived forty minutes earlier. Lizzie stood up and walked out of the room, she continued until she was outside.
"Lizzie!" Miranda called, chasing after her.
Lizzie wiped furiously at the tears spilling from here eyes. "What?"
Miranda stared at her, she didn't know what to say either, she wrapped her arms around Lizzie's shoulders.
"We should have tried harder," she cried, wiping at her eyes.
"What else could we have done Lizzie?" Miranda asked. "We tried everything we knew! We couldn't stop him."
"Then we could have told his parents! They could have taken his keys!" Lizzie sobbed. "We were stupid and look at him now! He's in a hospital bed, Miranda we have no idea what is going to happen to him!"
"David is very determined," a voice stated. Lizzie whirled around to face Roberta, Gordo's mother. "Whatever you girls could have tried he would have found a way around." Her face faltered for a moment, and Lizzie feared she would break down into tears. "I don't doubt for a minute that you tried everything you could think of. Don't blame yourselves."
"But we could have tried harder!" Lizzie insisted.
Roberta sighed. "His father and I are psychologists and we thought it was just a phase that would last a week."
All three females fell silent. Lizzie choked back more tears. Roberta stepped forward and looked at the girls. "Come on, I want you two to come back with me."
"We can see him now?" Miranda asked, her voice wavering.
"Yes," Roberta nodded. Her arm on each girl's back.
When joined by his father Howard, Lizzie and Miranda fell into step with each other.
The hallway seemed infinitely long to Lizzie. The overpowering silence was like a cloak, trying to smother her. She wanted to start laughing insanely because she was afraid if she didn't, she'd start crying again. She crossed her arms protectively around herself.
No matter what she did, she couldn't prepare herself for what she saw when she came into the room.
Gordo looked so small against the pillows, a bandage across his forehead and the side of his face. The other side was bruised badly. The cut she'd seen had needed stitches and were now covered by a small bandage.
Her hand flew to her mouth, she hung back by the door. She felt as if she was in a movie, watching everyone, but not a part of the action.
He was awake, a good sign. She hadn't had the courage to ask what was wrong, but he was awake, and looking around the room. Apparently he wasn't that bad. How he'd gotten so damn luck she didn't know, but she was grateful he did. His parents talked to him, then Miranda, then everyone turned to her. She hadn't said a word. Hadn't moved.
Some how everyone knew to leave them alone. The room was empty and the door shut. She stared at him. He waited. The silence and tension in the air thick.